Captured above and below by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory and
measured by the NOAA GOES satellite, this morning’s solar outburst was
definitely the strongest of the current sun cycle. It measured X6.9, a
full three times stronger than the previous frontrunner of this cycle,
an X2.2 measured back in February.

Lucky
for us down here here on Earth, this flare wasn’t facing us and
therefore isn’t expected to affect the planet in any serious way, though
the potential is there (NASA warned that it could cause some radio
communications blackouts, but likely nothing worse).